


the most wonderful time of the year

by maggiesbombshell



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, But We Love Her For It, Childhood Friends to Lovers, Communication Issues, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, glimmer is stubborn as hell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:15:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22057633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maggiesbombshell/pseuds/maggiesbombshell
Summary: Glimmer and Bow spend every Christmas together. And it takes a toll on them both when they nearly don’t. for ián, hope you had a happy holidays :)
Relationships: Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 34





	the most wonderful time of the year

[Christmas 2008, 7 years old]

“Bow! Bow, wake up it’s Christmas!” Glimmer yells as she’s on top of a sleeping Bow that’s in a sleeping bag.

Bow immediately sits up and rubs his eyes, his vision more than likely attempting to adjust to the room without glasses. “I’m up!”

Glimmer hands him the thinly brimmed dark colored glasses next to the sleeping bag. Bow puts them on and smiles at Glimmer, who’s staring at him intensely like she’s waiting for a signal.

“I’m ready.”

Glimmer’s lips curve into a wide smile. “Good. Let’s go.” 

[December 18th 2019]

“What do you mean you’re not spending Christmas with us?” Glimmer shuts her locker and continues to walk down the hallway with Bow. It’s final exam week and today they’re both taking their last two tests before school’s released for the day.

Bow clutches his books to his chest tightly. “Perfuma invited me and to join her on Christmas Eve at her beach house on the coast. And I can technically still come on Christmas Day I just can’t spend the night on Christmas Eve.” Bow adds.

Glimmer frowns and turns to face him. “But you and your dads spending the night on Christmas Eve is tradition! And you know how my mom is with traditions, Bow.”

Bow sighs. “What about the swim trunks Glimmer? This is the perfect opportunity for me to show them off!” Bow’s voice cracks at the end and Glimmer realizes how serious the situation is. 

Glimmer groans. “Why can’t you just wait until spring time like the rest of us?”

“I was going to but then Perfuma started talking about her huge jacuzzi she wants to fill and how am I supposed to say no to that?”

Glimmer rolls her eyes before Bow continues.

“Plus I just really wanna go.” Bow watches as Glimmer’s face transforms from annoyed to along the lines of upset and hurt. “Come on Glim, we’re still spending the day together and don’t forget about friendsmas!”

“Which you’re going to with Perfuma.” Glimmer adds bitterly.

Every year Bow and Glimmer host a get together with their good friends on Christmas Eve. They started it their freshman year which is also the year they met their best friend Adora.

Bow places his hands on her shoulders. “Glimmer, did you forget the part where I mentioned the jacuzzi she wants to fill?” Bow lightly rocks her forward with his hands. “You can come with us! Mermista and Seahawk will be there it’ll be fun!”

Bow’s proposition was tempting. Glimmer couldn’t deny it. But she couldn’t believe Bow would just ditch her and her mom the second somebody mentioned they had a fancy hot tub. 

Glimmer’s gaze drops to the floor beside them. The bell rings abruptly and Glimmer’s secretly thankful to start her exams. “Look! That’s the bell!” She laughs nervously. “Gotta go, talk to you after class!”

Bow just waves awkwardly as Glimmer rushes down the hall.

___________________________________

“And he says he’s not spending the night because of Perfuma and her stupid jacuzzi. Can you believe him?” Glimmer tosses a handful of popcorn into her mouth.

She’s FaceTiming Adora on her MacBook to talk about Bow. (But not in a bad way because the three of them made a spit pact to never talk badly about each other between the three of them no matter how bad things got.) She just needed to vent.

“Why is him not spending the night such a big deal again?” Adora asks for what feels like the millionth time.

Glimmer groans. “Because it’s tradition, Adora! We’ve been doing it since Kindergarten!” 

Adora pauses for a moment to think. “Like friendsmas?”

“Yeah kinda like that but this tradition has gone on for as long as we both can remember. It’s important!” Glimmer looks away from the camera. “Well it is to me at least.”

“Hey, Glimmer, I’m almost positive that Bow has no ill intentions with his Christmas plan with Perfuma.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Adora scratches the back of her neck. “Uh, I don’t know. I mean he’s Bow.”

Glimmer shoots her a glare through the computer’s small camera. “Adora! You’re not helping.”

Adora throws her hands up in defense. “I’m sorry, no one really asks me on advice for these things. But Bow always tells me that communication is key and that’s helped a lot with Catra and I. So maybe you should just talk to him.”

Glimmer nods as she thinks about it. “Yeah you’re right. I should talk to him about how important it is, and then he’ll practically have to stay for Christmas. Thanks Adora!”

“Um that’s not really what I meant Glim-“

“Talk to you later, bye!” Glimmer ends the call and grabs her phone from beside her to text Bow.

glimmer: hey

bow: hey!! i was worried about you after what happened at school earlier

bow: are you okay?

glimmer: yeah i’m fine!

glimmer: are you doing anything after school tomorrow?

bow: yeah, sorry ;(

bow: we can do something the next day though! what’s on your mind?

glimmer: just wanted to hang out

glimmer: what are you doing tmrw?

bow: helping Perfuma water her plants 

glimmer: water her plants??? why??

bow: she has a LOT of plants 

Glimmer turns her phone off and sighs.

Two can play at that game, she decides.

Bow tries to wave and say something to Glimmer the next day and she walks right past him.  
He guesses that she just didn’t notice him and shrugs it off.

But then Glimmer passes Bow and Adora’s lunch table to sit with Mermista and Seahawk and he knows there’s something wrong.

Bow stares at the table she’s sitting at for a moment before turning back to Adora, who’s stuffing a bunch of noodles into her mouth.

“Have you talked to Glimmer recently? I think she’s mad at me for some reason.”

Another rule in Bow’s friendship with Glimmer is that they would never ditch each other. Which includes switching lunch tables without telling the other.

“Yeah. I don’t think I’m really supposed to tell you since she’s supposed to be the one talking to you but I’m pretty sure it’s the Perfuma thing.” Adora says after she gulps down the bunch of noodles.

“Of course it’s the Perfuma thing.”

“You should just try talking to her again, I told Glimmer to do that but I don’t think she took it the right way.” Adora glances at Mermista’s table.

Bow nods. “You’re right. Because communication is key! I’ll talk to her now.” Bow rubs his hands on his jeans before leaving his table to approach Mermista and Seahawk’s. 

He taps Glimmer on the shoulder and she turns around immediately. “Hey, everything okay?” 

“Yeah everything’s fine! Why do you ask?” Glimmer looks at Bow not seeming to notice the issue.

“I mean, you aren’t sitting with us today and you were acting weird yesterday. You always sit at our table.” Bow explains.

Glimmer raises an eyebrow. “Am I not allowed to hang around other people now?”

“I mean you are but-“ Glimmer cuts him off.

“I mean that’s kinda what you’re doing with Perfuma, right?”

Bow doesn’t respond.

“So there shouldn’t be an issue, right?”

Bow catches the rather bitter tone in her voice and sighs. “No. I guess there shouldn’t be.”

Glimmer makes a small triumphant sound and turns back around to see Mermista eyeing her with a confused look on her face. 

“What was that about?” 

Glimmer’s eyes dart around the table. “What?” 

“Are you two in an argument or something? Is that why you’re sitting with us?” Mermista asks.

“I don’t know! Ask him, or Perfuma for that matter.” Glimmer mumbles.

Mermista is silent before coming to a moment of realization. “Ohh. Is that what you’re mad about? Bow going to Perfuma’s beach house and you’re jealous?”

“What I’m not-“

“Look sparkles, I’m one hundred percent positive that Perfuma doesn’t see him that way. That girl would invite a rock to her beach house if it looked friendly enough.”

“You don’t understand, Bow and I have spent every Christmas together. I just don’t get why he’s willing to forget that and move on the second someone gives him the choice. “ 

“I mean, she does have a very nice jacuzzi. The jets are unbeatable.” Seahawk adds.

Glimmer feels a strong urge to pull her hair out. “Can everyone shut up about the stupid jacuzzi!” Glimmer raises her voice and Mermista shakes her head at Seahawk.

“You know what? I’ll break a tradition so that we’ll be even. I won’t go to friendsmas.” Glimmer decides on spot.

Seahawk gasps. 

“Uh, aren’t you like one of the hosts?” Mermista asks.

“Yep! That’ll for sure show him.”

Mermista opens her mouth to say something before closing it again. “It’s your funeral.”

____________________________________

Glimmer lies on her living room couch as Hallmark Christmas movies play on the flat screen in front of her. Her mom’s placing food on the counter and she’s not sure who’s it for since Bow broke their tradition.

“Why aren’t you out with your friends tonight? George and Lance told me that you and Bow’s friend Perfuma is hosting a fun party at her house on the coast.” Angella wipes her hands on her apron.

“Because Bow is a traitor.” Glimmer says nonchalantly.

“And why is that?”

“He broke our tradition. Duh.” 

Angella frowned. “Does he know that you think this?”

Glimmer sits up and gets off of the couch. “I don’t think so, I know so. And yeah he knows, I told him it was tradition but he’s more concerned with showing off his stupid swim trunks.” Glimmer sits down at the kitchen table and her mom takes a seat next to her.

“Did you guys talk it out?”

“What is there to talk out, mom? I think he’s made it clear where his priorities lie and they aren’t with me. They’re with a jacuzzi.”

“Glimmer, you know what they say-“

“Yeah. I know. Communication is key.” She mocks her and folds her arms. “But I’m not sure if I even wanna talk to him. He just keeps choosing Perfuma over and over again. Soon, her and her Venus McFlytrap will be in all of Bow’s Christmas photos on Instagram and it’ll be like I don’t even exist.” 

“But Perfuma is you guy’s friend, I’m sure she wouldn’t do that to you. And neither would Bow.”

“Maybe not intentionally. But it’s still a possibility.”

“So that’s why you’re not going to your friendsmas?”

“Yep.”

Angella stops to think. “I think you should go.”

Glimmer scoffs. “And leave you here alone?”

Angella places her hand on Glimmer’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about me, or this tradition. And I want you to think about the real reason why this is bothering you and do something about it. Don’t make the same mistakes I made.”

“I don’t have an entree to bring.” Glimmer shrugs and uses that as an excuse for her not to go.

Angella taps her chin. “Take the deviled eggs. Bow was the only person that ever ate them anyway. Now go tell him how you feel.”

“What are you talking about mom, you know I don’t like Bow like that! Why would you even suggest that?” Glimmer replies, completely appalled by the accusation with her face heating up at the same time. 

“Glimmer”, she takes Glimmer’s hand. “Tell him.”

She gives her mom a small smile. “Okay.”

She grabs the platter of deviled eggs and the keys out of a homemade art mug Bow gifted her mom with in the fifth grade.

As she opens the front door she runs into Bow’s dad.

“Glimmer? I thought you were with Bow!” George says, confused.

Glimmer’s just as confused as they are. “What? I didn’t know you guys were still coming.”

Lance looks at George before facing Glimmer again. “And miss your mom’s stellar cooking? Never in a million years.” Lance laughs and rubs Glimmer’s back as he walks closer to the door.

“Have fun!” Lance says as she’s running down the drive way. 

“And drive safely!” George adds.

She isn’t that late to friendsmas since the venue they rented out wasn’t very far away. 

She enters the main room’s doors and her ears adjust to the loud laughter and conversation. She looks over to the long tables and sees Adora sitting in a chair with Catra on her lap feeding her cheesecake. She scrunches her nose up and takes a mental note to tell them to get a room later. 

Seahawk, Entrapta, and Mermista are on her right. Seahawk and Entrapta clearly bonding over something (more than likely arson) and Mermista’s laughing at whatever they’re saying.

Scorpia and Frosta are making ice cream sundaes at a small station.

Glimmer smiles. It was Bow’s idea.

Perfuma is smiling at Bow as he frantically looks around the room and she gets an ugly feeling in her chest. But she tries to squash it down as she remembers what her mother told her.

Perfuma notices her at entrance and waves her over. “Glimmer! I’m glad you made it!”

She approaches them and manages to give Bow a small smile as well as Perfuma. “Hi.”

“Hello!” Perfuma gasps. “What’s  
that?” She points to the platter in her hands.

“Deviled eggs.”

“Amazing. Let me take them to the table for you.” She takes the platter before Glimmer can respond and winks at Bow.

She sighs and rubs her forehead. “Look, Bow-“

“Glimmer, wait. I’m sorry. I know that the tradition meant a lot to you and I’m sorry if it felt like I didn’t care about it or how you felt. I just wanted to spend some time on the coast with everyone before we graduated. And I tried talking to you and inviting you but it just seemed like it made things worse. I don’t know where things went wrong so can you tell me where everything went wrong?” 

“Oh, Bow.” Glimmer’s eyes get watery and she wraps her arms around Bow and hugs him tightly.

Bow’s arms wrap around her right after. 

“I was so unfair to you. I was jealous and thought that maybe you just didn’t care anymore and we were growing apart. And then I got scared and didn’t wanna talk to you and find out the truth. I’m sorry.” Glimmer stands on her tip toes and places her chin in Bow’s shoulder.

Bow sighs. “Glimmer, you’re one of the most important people in my life. All I wanted was to spend the day with you.” He chuckles. “Did you open the snaps I sent you earlier?”

“No, I was too busy trying to give you the silent treatment.” Glimmer admits.

Bow pulls away to grab his phone out of his pocket. 

Glimmer wipes at her eyes.

He hands it to her and shows a series of pictures he took.

One was a picture of him in the jacuzzi labeled “the jacuzzi’s getting cold without you here” Glimmer laughs.

One includes Bow giving his best pouty face and another has a horribly drawn picture of Glimmer herself using the draw tool captioned, “this could be us”. 

Glimmer bursts out into laughter and Bow joins her.

“Are my art skills not good enough for you?” 

Glimmer feels like she’s choking on air. “No, I bet Picasso wishes he could do that.”

“Why thank you Glimmer. And when I was hanging out with Perfuma after finals I didn’t mean it as a way to just ignore you or anything. She was helping me with your Christmas gift.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah. It’s a small plant sculpture of us. But with fake plants so it doesn’t die. Just like our friendship.”

Glimmer smiles. “Bow?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Glim. And I forgive you.”

**Author's Note:**

> look at me writing something other than catradora! this has given me a new found love for glimmer and bow as well as their relationship tbh. hope you all have a happy new year!


End file.
